In a heating and cooling air conditioning system, such as a ductless mini split heating and cooling air conditioning system, refrigeration lines and electrical wires run between an evaporator unit located inside a building and a condenser unit located outside the building. The heating and cooling air conditioning system may also include condensate tubes that run from the evaporator to a condensate tank, from the condensate tank to a condensate pump, and from the condensate pump to a drain inside the building or to a location outside the building. The refrigeration lines, condensate tubes, and electrical wires will be collectively referred to hereinafter as line components. In order to keep the line components organized and out of sight, an enclosed line components duct system or trunk houses the line components. The line components duct system is used inside the building to enclose the line components between the evaporator and a point of penetration to the outside of the building in the circumstances where the line components cannot be embedded in a wall such as is the case with older plaster construction. In addition, the line components duct system is used outside the building between the wall penetration point from the interior of the building and the condenser unit. The line components duct system is particularly useful when a building is retrofit with the ductless mini split heating and cooling air conditioning system with the evaporator unit attached to a wall adjacent the ceiling of a room within the building. In such a case, the line components duct system typically runs from the mini split evaporator unit mounted on the interior wall to the ceiling along the interior wall.
DiversiTech Corporation, the assignee of the present invention and application, sells a line components duct system under the mark SpeediChannel. Such a line components duct system includes a straight section line components duct having a rectangular cross-section. The straight section line components duct comprises an elongated base with an attached side wall and a snap on cover with an attached side wall. The cover with its attached side wall snaps onto the base with its attached side wall to complete the enclosure of the straight section line components duct. An integral channel with a series of channel clips runs along the length of the elongated base. The channel clips engage the integral channel and are slidable along the length of the integral channel. The channel clips secure the line components to the base of the line components duct in order to keep the line components from shifting or vibrating. The line components duct system also includes various fittings to accommodate turns in the direction of the line components, to accommodate penetration of the internal and external walls of the building, and to accommodate attachment of the line components duct to the condenser unit and the evaporator unit.
In a typical installation for a ductless mini split heating and cooling air conditioning system, the base of the line components duct is attached to a mounting surface such as the internal wall of the room of the building. The line components are positioned on the base and secured with the channel clips. The cover with its attached wall is then snapped onto the base with its attached wall to complete the enclosure, to protect the line components, and to hide the line components from view.
In installations of the mini split heating and cooling air conditioning system, a condensate tank is required to collect condensate produced by the evaporator unit. A condensate pump is then mounted at a remote location to draw the condensate from the condensate tank and pump the condensate to either a drain inside the building or to a remote location outside the building. The condensate tank is typically located closely adjacent the evaporator unit. In that regard, the condensate tank is often located in a line components duct elbow where the condensate line and the rest of the line components exit the evaporator unit and then make a 90° turn toward the ceiling of the room. The condensate pump is usually located above the ceiling and draws the condensate from the condensate tank through the condensate tube in the line components duct.
A number of manufacturers offer a condensate tank and associated condensate pump. The condensate tanks are offered in a variety of sizes and shapes. Consequently, an installer must stock a variety of line components duct elbows in order to accommodate the variety of sizes and shapes of the various condensate tanks.